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  1. A wisecracking duck and a taciturn boar traverse a post-apocalyptic landscape while scavenging supplies for one of the last populated settlements on Earth—well, there are stranger premises for a game. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden Deluxe Edition it a tough-as-nails tactical-RPG, one that regularly puts your small band of mutants against overwhelming enemy forces and expects you to work out the best strategy for taking each enemy down without overextending your meager resources. The gameplay can be wonderfully tense and engaging, though the game's performance on the Switch leaves much to be desired. At the beginning of the game you play as Dux and Bromin (the aforementioned mutant duck and boar, respectively) though you eventually gain a few more allies along the way. The mutant pair are Stalkers, elite scavengers able to brave the hazards of the mutated landscape and bring back supplies to the Ark, the home of the remaining survivors. The post-apocalyptic setting admittedly feels a little cliché here (seen one post-apocalyptic hellscape seen 'em all, am I right?) but the writing in Mutant Year Zero still manages to shine thanks to the personalities of the playable characters and their small interactions. In fact, one of the best reasons to replay the game—aside from the gameplay—might be to hear all of the various dialogue possibilities depending on who is currently in your party. Mutant Year Zero is a turn-based tactical shooter RPG in the vein of XCOM or Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. On your turn, you move your characters around a grid-based battlefield—ideally keeping them hidden behind cover—and attack enemies with a small variety of guns or special mutant powers. Each character only has two actions per turn (move, heal, reload, attack, etc.) and attacking always ends that character's turn, so you have to plan your actions carefully. Like other games in this genre Mutant Year Zero can feel punishingly difficult at times. In terms of sheer numbers and firepower you're pretty much always at a disadvantage compared to the enemy, and any little mistake on your part can and will be punished. The key to survival is scouting out the map and planning your approach to each battle carefully—if you charge in blindly you're never going to get anywhere in this game. It's a genre that truly rewards patience and forethought, which also makes it incredibly satisfying when things go well and you survive a fight without a single scratch. For as difficult as it can be, Mutant Year Zero is also awfully addictive: it feels pretty great when you efficiently sweep through an enemy force with just your motley band of mutants. The game also highly encourages stealthy attacks in order to pare down the enemy's numbers before a full-fledged firefight begins. You're able to see each enemy's field of vision and you have a small selection of silenced weapons to allow you to pick off weaker, isolated targets. Of course, there are always some enemies that are too closely clumped together or are simply too strong to be killed before they can alert their friends, but having a chance at stealthily eliminating targets is not only hugely helpful for survival but awfully fun as well—the only thing better than executing a well-planned attack is doing it in stealth so the enemy doesn't even have a chance to react. And ultimately there is a decent amount of variety in how you approach each fight. You'll eventually have five playable characters at your disposal (though you can only bring three into any fight) and each character has his or her own skill tree of mutations. This is essentially how you level up throughout the game. In addition to some passive bonuses like increased health or movement range, you can equip mutations that allow for special attacks in battle, such as stunning an enemy with a powerful charge or shooting twice in one turn. Some are almost comically unbalanced with how much more useful they are compared to others, but regardless, your selection of mutations is the perfect way to customize your play style, or even just adjust how you approach a specific fight. Are there a lot of robotic enemies on the map? Try using mutations that can stun robots with EMP attacks. One extra-powerful enemy giving you trouble? Try brainwashing him to make him fight for you for a few turns. Mutant Year Zero provides just enough variety to let you try new things or encourage a second playthrough without overwhelming you with options. The game isn't without its problems, though. For a game that encourages scavenging the battlefield, it can be a little tedious just how slowly your characters move. When you're sneaking around it makes sense to move slowly and carefully, but when the battle is over it would be nice if they could pick up the pace. Mutant Year Zero also suffers from some technical issues, which is particularly disappointing since the load times aren't exactly short either. I ran into a few problematic bugs while playing, including a battle where an enemy fell through the floor, meaning I wasn't able to shoot him and had to restart the whole fight. It's a shame these issues haven't been addressed as of this writing. Mutant Year Zero also takes a noticeable hit in the graphics department with this Switch port. The frame rate can be rather inconsistent, which doesn't inhibit the gameplay but is still bothersome. The quality of the resolution also takes a notable dive in handheld mode. It's too bad since there's clearly a cool aesthetic at work here, but it doesn't feel like it lives up to its maximum potential on the Switch. On the audio side of things, the music is solid—moody, atmospheric—and the voice acting is well done, but my one minor quibble is wishing I could fast-forward through dialogue at times just to speed up some cutscenes. The base game can last a good twelve hours or so, with a small amount of side quests and optional areas that you can tackle. As mentioned there is also plenty of replay value thanks to varied mutations or trying a higher level of difficulty (though normal is plenty challenging on its own). Additionally, since this is a Deluxe Edition, it also includes the Seed of Evil DLC, which adds an entire short campaign as well as another playable character. This edition also includes the Stalker Trials mode which gives you challenging fights and lets you compare your score to others online. The base campaign may only be a modest length but there is plenty of additional content and replay value here. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden Deluxe Edition offers some excellent tactical-RPG gameplay wrapped up in a stylish post-apocalyptic world of mutants and mutations. Strategy fans will love the high challenges available here, though less experienced players should be warned the game doesn't pull any punches. Sadly Mutant Year Zero has some pervasive technical issues on the Switch, but if you're willing to overlook them you'll find a richly rewarding and addictive tactical-RPG. Rating: 8 out of 10 Mutants
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